Apple noob needs help: iPad OTG questions from an Android guy
3I bought a "well loved" iPad 2, with the intention of using it to watch movies on an upcoming adventure. It's only a 16GB, and it's running iOS 9.3.1
Knowing in advance that 16GB won't accommodate many movies, I'm wondering about using a flash drive to store the movies and either watch them from the flash drive, or transfer movies from the flash drive to the iPad a few at a time as I watch them.
Can anyone who's actually done this before offer their experience? Is this even possible?
- 12 comments, 33 replies
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Never used one, but think there are wi-fi hard drives that might work.
Try searching Amazon for "ipad hard drive" or "ipad otg" or "ipad microsd" and see what comes up.
@f00l I have a wifi HD, but I'm trying to minimize weight and power requirements. Yours and @carl669's suggestions to hit up Amazon yielded several promising results. I was hoping to find some advice from someone who has experienced this and can give me pointers on accessing the added storage space since iOS doesn't have any sort of file explorer app.
@ruouttaurmind
Ios would prefer you be prevented from accessing your file system. :(
@f00l effing Apple.
@ruouttaurmind i believe the one i linked has an accompanying app to access the file system.
http://www.tabletpcreview.com/review/i-flashdrive-review/
there's something like this (i'm sure you can find the same thing cheaper) that accepts microsd cards:
http://shop.brando.com/i-FlashDrive_p12109c1619d002.html
@carl669 Definitely on the right track there. Many thanks!
Why didn't you get an inexpensive Android tablet and a big SD card or two?
@hallmike Fair question, an that would have been my preference. But I tripped into a deal on this iPad 2 for $80 and just grabbed it before thinking through the challenge of storage space. Being an Android user, it just didn't occur to me that the iPad wouldn't be as easy.
@ruouttaurmind I understand - sometimes it can be fun to play with something new. I was merely curious.
What timing!
I just got this a week ago for my iPad Air2 (16gb)...
https://www.sandisk.com/connect
I didn't believe it would work and asked Amazon if I could send it back if it didn't work as advertised? Yes.
The thing really does work. NOT Bluetooth but WiFi.
The higher ratings on Amazon are from people who followed instructions. Lower ratings from those who did not.
Music and video files of almost all types have played without any issues.
The only thing that has slowed it down has been very large photo files. I guess I will have to reduce the files so they will be easier to open under this wifi.
I paid $40 for the 64GB stick. Highly recommend it.
@fjp999 Nice, simple option. Would be doubly awesome if it supported microSD.
Can't you upload them to the iCloud or Dropbox or something cloud-ish? Or use remote desktop and store them on your computer to watch from there?
@heartny I'll be mostly off the grid, with very limited access to power and 'net, and need to limit weight and bulk.
BoingBoing and the ArsTechnica stores have a flash drive with lightning connector, you can load movies onto that and play them from the iPad. Amazon probably does too, search for iOS Flash Drive.
@blueyed510
@blueyed510 the drives with lightning connectors have apps for the iPad that will play movies and such. That lets them get around the lack of file system access.
@blueyed510 iPad 2 is 30 pin :(
I'm sure there are similar products that will do the same for the older iPads.
@blueyed510 @ruouttaurmind I believe the iPad 2 has the 30-pin Apple connector. While there may be a flash drive that can use the older connector, a WIFI solution is probably your best bet
http://www.amazon.com/Newgen-CRIPAD51-Card-Reader-Apple/dp/B00568BV68
There may be better prices on Amazon to be had but this is what I would look for. The Apple camera connection kit also has a 30 pin sd card reader, but costs a good bit more. This one has usb and multi card reader for better flexibility.
Then you'll have to encode your movies in a format the iPad likes, if they aren't already. IIRC Handbrake will do this, and its free and pretty easy to use.
@djslack Thanks, Chris. Poor reviews, but low price makes it worth a shot. Appreciated!
@ruouttaurmind Yeah, there may be a better specific choice but that general product should work. I liked that one because it supports multiple card types as well as a usb port for thumbdrive capability, but didn't search for best reviewed or best price.
Here are the details on exactly how to make it work, at least back in iPad 2 times: http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-sd-cards-for-extra-ipad-video-storage/
@ruouttaurmind Don't know if this will help or not. But if someone who has a clue says it will work, I'm willing to give it a shot...
Backstory:
I have somewhere an iPad 1 camera connection thingy. I got it to use USB flash drives with my iPad 1 eons ago. Of course, two days after it arrived, I left the iPad in a shopping cart (in the grocery store parking lot) while driving home and then back to the grocery store. I never replaced that iPad (why fight with something designed to make ones normal shaped life fit into an Apple-shaped hole?).
Potential issues:
Will the ancient thing I had work for your purpose? (I am purposely clueless about things such as iPads, since they have treated me so badly in the past.)
Will I be able to find the ancient thing? (Actually, I probably can, though it may take several hours of going through assorted boxes of stuff. I've been planning to go through all that crap anyway, and doing something for some random dude on Meh is more likely than many other things to actually make me go through the stuff.)
Will I be able to find said fossil in time for it to be of use to you in your endeavors in the wilds of whatever off-grid place you plan to endeavor?
Are you willing to send your contact information to an (apparently insane) random dude on Meh?
Anyways... if there is some hope of this thing working for you, someone reply and let me know. I won't be able to spend much time looking until the weekend, but am willing to try if there is a point.
Oh. In case it isn't obvious, I'm not looking for money. I'm in a fairly good mood, since my 3D printer is finally printing things other than random blobs of plastic hair-like things.
@baqui63 This is an exceptional offer! I truly appreciate it.
@djslack found a similar item on Amazon for about eight bucks, free shipping, and I'll have it in two days.
I respect your offer, and appreciate your willingness to help. I'm going to take a shot at the $8 Amazon adapter and see if I can make it do what it's supposed to do.
Many thanks!
@ruouttaurmind Not a problem at all and good luck! I hope it works for you.
BTW- I'm fairly sure this is the animal I have: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPad-Camera-Connection-MC531AM/dp/B0149QE3RQ
And maybe I'll ask my girlfriend to start nagging me about cleaning up, rather than getting my hair cut...
Here is the official Apple SD Card Camera Reader:
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Lightning-Camera-Reader-MD822AM/dp/B014854V0C?ie=UTF8&keywords=Lightning%20to%20SD%20Card%20Camera%20Reader&qid=1461060896&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
It is better to read the reviews on the AppleStore.com and for some reason prices at Amazon are insane! $29 from Apple.
As the name says this is a very specific item since Apple is a very closed system... I would be careful of knockoff products btw... with this "Camera Reader" you will be able to transfer movies to iPhoto (after some re-naming BUT not watch on the card). From what I have read it should work with micro sd cards with adapter.
It wasn't the best solution for me for watching movies so I got the SanDisk thumb drive. I will probably keep the Apple Reader since the td is not the best solution for photos.
Thanks to everyone for your feedback and suggestions. I'm going to try the cheapo Amazon $8 card reader and see if I can make it work.
If I spend too much on a storage solution, I'd be better off selling on the iPad, getting my eighty bucks back and moving on to a more seamless option.
@ruouttaurmind Might be willing to buy your iPad2 if it comes to that. My 15yo has a 'well loved' original iPad; he'd be mighty happy with an upgrade
@compunaut I'll keep you in mind if I decide to bail out. But it's got some miles on it. Functionally, it seems perfect. All the buttons work, screen is nice and bright, glass isn't broken... but lots of wear and tear on the case, and the glass is delaminating on one edge. I ordered a solid rugged case for it, with integrated screen protector. Once it's neatly bolted into the case, I doubt I'll even remember how ugly the iPad inside is.
One nice thing about these old iPads... besides the modest initial investment, all the accessories are dirt cheap. $3 delivered for a brand new genuine Apple cable, $6 delivered for the Targus rugged case, $4 for a two-pack of tempered glass screen protectors... and it still runs the latest and greatest version of iOS with acceptable performance. Other than the 16GB storage limit, I have no complaints.
@ruouttaurmind Nooooooooooooooo! Do not tempted by the iOS side be!
http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/
And cool! The Instant No button is now also an Android app!
@baqui63
Since Android Wear now supports external speakers (note: not Bluetooth ones) the nooooo app would probably make a nice little extension app.
So this situation sort of resolved itself. Through fate I suppose you could say.
Early last week, purchasing the old hoopty iPad 2 I was looking for help with in this thread, I hit up Craiglist and shot out a bunch of lowball offers. Mostly on newer, prettier iPads with higher storage capacities. After all, you won't know until you ask, ja?
Today, a week later, one of the folks that I made an offer to contacted me back and said they were over the whole Craigslist thingy with the flaky people and haters. They were tired of dealing with it and suggested that I might care to stand behind last week's offer. If so, they knew it was a low price, but they were tired of replying to text messages and phone calls and all the people who said they'd meet up somewhere and never showed.
So I dipped out of the office a bit early, stopped by the bank, and picked up a sweet, "very gently loved" iPad Air (first) with a generous 128GB capacity. More than enough for all my apps, a few Audible books, an entire year of Nat Geo magazines, a full season of X-Files, plus probably at least a dozen or more movies... and likely still have room leftover for a buttload of photos.
I really appreciate all the folks who spoke up and offered their advice and shared from their knowledge and experience. My humble thanks to you all.
Of course, wouldn't you know it... the new Targus rugged case I ordered for the iPad 2 showed up tonight. And dang it really spiffs up that tired old iPad 2!
@ruouttaurmind
Now that you resolved that issue, perhaps you'd like to resolve a question on everybody's mind:
Which season of X-Files???
@FroodyFrog
Uh the truth is out there
I'm a X-Files virgin. Never seen so much as a single scene. My guys at work want to drag me into the new season, so apparently I have to binge 9 seasons to get caught up. Well, I guess 10 seasons since this one started back in January.
In case I hate it, I also downloaded a few episodes of Six Feet Under because I heard great things about it when it was on the air.
@ruouttaurmind
So...
When is the X-Files binge watching party?
Speaking of which;
@Barney could we have a vote to move the Meht Up from @snapster's house to here?
Yes, I realize that certain people high up in (on?) the Meh chain of command may have better setups for binging 208 episodes of a show, but that just seems like too much hassle.
@FroodyFrog TWO HUNDRED and EIGHT?
Let me see... figure around 42 minutes per episode, 208 episodes... that's about 146 hours... plus time out for snacks and restroom... maybe another 10% or so...
CRIKEY! If I watched ten hours a day, seven days a week, it would take me over two weeks to finish the series!
@ruouttaurmind
And that's not including the 2 movies.
There's this link, although I'm not sure which calculations they used:
http://www.bingeclock.com/m/s/the-x-files
@FroodyFrog TWO movies? I only thought there was one. Apple noob AND X-Files noob. This week has surely opened my eyes.
@ruouttaurmind
The first was released in 1998, and it was ever so creatively called The X-Files (Fight the Future).
The second was released after the 9th season, and it was called
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
@FroodyFrog The truth really IS out there. And it's all in the form of FroodyFrog!
@ruouttaurmind
@ruouttaurmind Technically, you could also add the spin-off show The Lone Gunmen (who were minor characters on the X-Files, and then got their own show for a season), but it's not essential.
@FroodyFrog The Meht Up is on indefinite hold.
@dashcloud
I was thinking about mentioning that, but i figured not to scare @ruouttaurmind that much just yet
@Barney
Well now I'm just disappointed.
Re x-files
Check in here when you come up for air.